There are 67 state parks, nine state recreation areas, nine state waysides, and 23 state trails in the Minnesota state park system, totaling approximately 267,000 acres (1,080 km2).[1][2] A Minnesota state park is an area of land in the U.S. state of Minnesota preserved by the state for its natural, historic, or other resources. Each was created by an act of the Minnesota Legislature and is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota Historical Society operates sites within some of them. The park system began in 1891 with Itasca State Park when a state law was adopted to "maintain intact, forever, a limited quantity of the domain of this commonwealth...in a state of nature."[3] Minnesota's state park system is the second oldest in the United States, after New York's.[4]: 2
Hold cursor over locations to display park name;
click to go to park article.
Minnesota's state parks are spread across the state in such a way that there is a state park within 50 miles (80 km) of every Minnesotan.[5] The most recent park created is Lake Vermilion State Park, created in 2010. The parks range in size from Franz Jevne State Park with 118 acres (48 ha) to Saint Croix State Park with 34,037 acres (13,774 ha). Two parks include resources listed as National Natural Landmarks (Big Bog State Recreation Area and Itasca State Park) and six parks encompass National Historic Landmarks (Charles A. Lindbergh, Fort Snelling, Mille Lacs Kathio, St. Croix, Soudan Underground Mine, and Split Rock Lighthouse State Parks). 52 sites or districts across 34 Minnesota state parks are on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including 22 parks with developments constructed by New Deal-era job creation programs in the 1930s.[6]
History edit
Minnesota's first attempt to create a state park came in 1885, when a 173-acre (70 ha) park was authorized to preserve Minnehaha Falls. The effort was delayed by legal appeals from the various landowners of the desired parkland, and by the time those were settled in favor of the state in 1889, Minnesota no longer had the money to purchase the land. Instead the city of Minneapolis fronted the cash. Owned and operated by Minneapolis, Minnehaha State Park was ultimately absorbed as a city park.[4]: 3
Minnesota tried again in 1891, authorizing a state park around Lake Itasca both for its recreational opportunities and to protect the source of the Mississippi River. Interstate Park on the St. Croix River was created in 1895. Other sites were added over the next two decades, but with an inconsistent vision. Modest tracts of scenic land were acquired in Minneopa and Jay Cooke State Parks, but much effort was also expended on creating historical monuments relating to the Dakota War of 1862 and the Great Hinckley Fire. Moreover, most of the sites were being administered by the state auditor, who had many other duties. Itasca State Park, meanwhile, was being administered as a state forest. In 1923, state auditor Ray P. Chase excoriated this situation, calling for wiser selection of park lands and a dedicated commissioner. Chase's comments had an impact, and two years later the Department of Conservation was created to manage the state's natural resources, including the state parks. Originally part of the forestry division, the state parks received their own division in 1935 to take advantage of federal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).[4]: 82 [7] In 1971, the department became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.[8]
The state parks were closed for almost three weeks in July 2011 due to a shutdown of the state government.
State parks and recreation areas edit
.JPG)
.jpg)
_Recreation_Area,_Minnesota_(28064197648).jpg)
.jpg)
State waysides edit
The state park system includes nine waysides, most of them along Minnesota State Highway 61 on the North Shore.[102] These are parcels of land too small to be full-fledged parks, but with cultural or natural resources greater than would be overseen by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as highway waysides. Generally development is limited to a parking area and a short trail; sometimes there are sanitation facilities and picnic tables as well.[4]
| Wayside name | County | Date established[4]: 299 | Coordinates | Remarks[103] | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou Falls State Wayside | Lake | 1947 | 47°27′52″N 91°01′51″W / 47.46452°N 91.03084°W | Includes a waterfall on the Caribou River. Formerly Caribou Falls State Park.[4]: 166 |  |
| Devils Track Falls State Wayside | Cook | 1961 | 47°46′41″N 90°16′58″W / 47.77804°N 90.28273°W | A nearly inaccessible gorge on the Devil Track River within Superior National Forest. Formerly Devils Track Falls State Park.[4]: 209 |  |
| Flood Bay State Wayside | Lake | 1965 | 47°02′19″N 91°38′33″W / 47.03850°N 91.64254°W | A rocky Lake Superior beach just outside Two Harbors.[4]: 248 |  |
| Inspiration Peak State Wayside | Otter Tail | 1931 | 46°08′14″N 95°34′41″W / 46.13714°N 95.57809°W | The highest point of the Leaf Hills Moraines.[4]: 95 |  |
| Joseph R. Brown State Wayside | Renville | 1937 | 44°45′01″N 95°19′28″W / 44.750328°N 95.324425°W | The ruins of Joseph R. Brown's three-story mansion, destroyed during the Dakota War of 1862.[4]: 134 The ruins are on the NRHP.[6] |  |
| Kadunce River State Wayside | Cook | 1947 | 47°47′38″N 90°09′15″W / 47.79393°N 90.15414°W | Lake Superior shoreline around the mouth of the variably spelled Kadunce River. Formerly Kodonce River State Park.[4]: 166 | .jpg) |
| Ray Berglund State Wayside | Cook | 1951 | 47°36′32″N 90°46′10″W / 47.60894°N 90.76943°W | A memorial at the mouth of the Onion River to a St. Paul businessman and conservationist, on land donated by his friends.[4]: 173 |  |
| St. Croix Boom Site State Wayside | Washington | 2016 | 45°05′02″N 92°47′14″W / 45.08386°N 92.78731°W | Commemorates the site of a log boom where timber was sorted. Became a state wayside in 2016 following a facelift of facilities formerly owned by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.[104] |  |
| Sam Brown Memorial State Wayside | Traverse | 1929 | 45°35′46″N 96°50′29″W / 45.59616°N 96.84141°W | Created to honor Joseph R. Brown's son Samuel J. Brown, "the Paul Revere of the West," who rode 120 miles (190 km) through a storm on April 19, 1866, to warn of an expected Dakota attack. Formerly Sam Brown State Park.[4]: 88 |  |
State trails edit
| Trail name | Trailheads[9] | Length in miles[9] | Length in kilometers[9] | Surface | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead State Trail | Tower – International Falls | 135 | 217 | Unpaved | Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, branching off the Taconite State Trail.[105] |
| Blazing Star State Trail | Albert Lea – Myre-Big Island State Park | 6 | 9.7 | Paved | Planned to continue to Austin and connect with the Shooting Star State Trail.[106] |
| Blufflands State Trail: Harmony-Preston Valley Segment | Harmony – Preston | 18 | 29 | Paved | Climbs out of the Root River Valley.[107] |
| Blufflands State Trail: Root River Segment | Fountain – Houston | 42 | 68 | Paved | Extends along the Root River.[108] |
| Casey Jones State Trail | Pipestone – Murray County, Lake Shetek State Park – Currie | 19 | 31 | Partly paved | Invokes legendary train engineer Casey Jones in three unconnected segments that reflect railroad and pioneer history.[109] |
| Central Lakes State Trail | Osakis – Fergus Falls | 55 | 89 | Paved | Skirts a series of glacially formed lakes in Central Minnesota and connects to the Lake Wobegon Trails.[110] |
| Cuyuna Lakes State Trail | Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area | 6 | 9.7 | Paved | Wends through a regenerating open-pit mining area and connects with several mountain biking trails.[111] |
| Douglas State Trail | Pine Island – Rochester | 13 | 21 | Parallel paved and unpaved | Stretches through the rural scenery of a rich agricultural region.[112] |
| Gateway State Trail | St. Paul – Pine Point Regional Park | 18 | 29 | Paved with 10 miles (16 km) of parallel unpaved | Extends from an urban setting to a rural park near Stillwater.[113] |
| Gitchi-Gami State Trail | Gooseberry Falls State Park – Beaver Bay, Schroeder – Tofte | 25 | 40 | Paved | Runs along the shore of Lake Superior in multiple unconnected segments. Planned to run continuously from Two Harbors to Grand Marais.[114] |
| Glacial Lakes State Trail | Hawick – Willmar | 22 | 35 | Parallel paved and unpaved | Traverses gently rolling glacial landforms.[115] |
| Goodhue Pioneer State Trail | Red Wing – Hay Creek Township, Zumbrota | 10 | 16 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Exists in two sections, but planned to run from Red Wing to Pine Island.[116] |
| Great River Ridge State Trail | Plainview – Eyota | 13 | 21 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Wends past the river bluffs of the Driftless Area.[117] |
| Heartland State Trail | Park Rapids – Cass Lake | 49 | 79 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Passes through mixed northern forests, intersecting with the Paul Bunyan State Trail.[118] |
| Luce Line State Trail | Plymouth – Cosmos | 63 | 101 | Partly paved with some parallel unpaved[119] | Stretches from the Minneapolis suburbs out to a rural landscape.[120] |
| Mill Towns State Trail | Northfield – Dundas | 3 | 4.8 | Paved | Planned to connect the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail in Faribault to the Cannon Valley Trail in Cannon Falls[121] |
| Minnesota Valley State Trail | Shakopee – Belle Plaine | 42 | 68 | Mostly unpaved | Follows the Minnesota River.[122] |
| North Shore State Trail | Duluth – Grand Marais | 146 | 235 | Unpaved | Traverses the inland backcountry of the North Shore, primarily as a winter snowmobile route.[123] |
| Paul Bunyan State Trail | Brainerd – Lake Bemidji State Park | 112 | 180 | Paved | Comprises one of the country's longest continuously paved trails, with a planned extension to Crow Wing State Park. Intersects with the Heartland State Trail.[124] |
| Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail | Faribault – Mankato | 39 | 63 | Paved with some parallel unpaved | Follows the Cannon River and passes through Sakatah Lake State Park.[125] |
| Shooting Star State Trail | LeRoy – Adams | 14 | 23 | Paved | Crosses open country and passes through Lake Louise State Park.[126] |
| Taconite State Trail | Grand Rapids – Ely | 155 | 249 | Mostly unpaved | Serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, intersecting with the Arrowhead State Trail.[127] |
| Willard Munger State Trail | Hinckley – Duluth, Wrenshall – Carlton, Chengwatana State Forest – Holyoke | 76 | 122 | Paved | Honors state legislator and trail advocate Willard Munger with a trail system of three segments.[128] |
Future trails edit
Since Minnesota state parks and trails are authorized by the state legislature, some trails have been established in state statute, yet no usable mileage has been constructed.[129]
| Trail name | South/West terminus | North/East terminus | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Ripley/Veterans State Trail | Little Falls | Crow Wing State Park | A segment is planned to split to the west of Camp Ripley and serve Pillager. Planned to connect the Soo Line Off-Highway Vehicle Trail with the Paul Bunyan State Trail. |
| Des Moines River Valley State Trail | Iowa border in Jackson County | Casey Jones State Trail in Murray County | Planned to connect with the Iowa Great Lakes regional trail in Mini-Wakan State Park. Also planned to go through Kilen Woods State Park. |
| Minnesota River State Trail | Big Stone Lake State Park | Le Sueur | Planned to connect with the Minnesota Valley State Trail in Le Sueur. |
| Mississippi Blufflands State Trail | Lake City | Red Wing | To connect with the Cannon Valley Trail and the Rattlesnake Bluff Trail. |
| Prairie Wildflower State Trail | Austin | Faribault | To follow an abandoned railroad grade. |
| Stagecoach State Trail | Owatonna | Rochester | To pass through Rice Lake State Park on the historic Stagecoach Trail. |
| Superior Vista State Trail | Duluth | Two Harbors | To follow the Lake Superior shoreline via abandoned railroad grades. |
Former parks edit
Several units added to the Minnesota state park system over the years have since been redesignated or transferred to other agencies, including the system's very first unit, Camp Release State Memorial Wayside, created in 1889. In most cases these decisions were due to the unit being too small for a state park with little chance of expansion, or largely local use rather than attracting visitors from all over the state and beyond.[4] Four of these units were redesignated as state waysides and are listed above.[4][103] The other former units were:
| Former name | Date established | Date redesignated | Result | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Ramsey State Park[4]: 43 [130] | 1911 | 1957 | Transferred to Redwood Falls as a city park. |  |
| Birch Cooley Battle Field State Memorial Park[4]: 15 | 1929 | 1976 | Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society. |  |
| Camp Release State Memorial Wayside[4]: 337 | 1889 | 1975 | Redesignated Camp Release State Monument. |  |
| Chippewa Mission State Memorial Wayside[4]: 94 | 1931 | 1973 | Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society. |  |
| Horace Austin State Park[4]: 44 [131] | 1913 | 1949 | Transferred to Austin as a city park. |  |
| Garvin Heights State Park[4]: 76 | 1922 | 1961 | Transferred to Winona as a city park. |  |
| Kaplan Woods State Park[4]: 98 [132] | 1935 | 1963 | Part demolished to build a highway, remainder transferred to Owatonna as a city park. |  |
| Little Elbow Lake State Park[4]: 230 | 1963 | 1989 | Transferred to White Earth Indian Reservation. | |
| Old Crossing Treaty Historic Wayside[4]: 96 | 1931 | 1987 | Parts transferred to Red Lake County and University of Minnesota Crookston, remainder added to Huot Wildlife Management Area. |  |
| Oronoco Park (later Oronoco State Scenic Reserve)[4]: 130 [133] | 1937 | 1965 | Transferred to Olmsted County. |  |
| Pine Tree State Park[4]: 165 | 1947 | 1965 | Transferred to Blackduck as a city park. | |
| Pomme de Terre Recreational Reserve[4]: 122 | 1937 | 1965 | Transferred to Morris as a city park. |  |
| Sleepy Eye State Park[4]: 70 | 1921 | 1965 | Transferred to Sleepy Eye as a city park. | |
| Toqua Lakes State Park[4]: 51 | 1921 | 1965 | Transferred to Big Stone County as a county park. | |
| Traverse des Sioux State Park[4]: 29 | 1905 | 1981 | Transferred to Minnesota Historical Society and city of St. Peter. |  |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park[134] | 1963 | 2024 | Transferred to Upper Sioux Community |  |
| Watson State Wayside[4]: 136 | 1941 | 1959 | Transferred to Watson as a city park. |
See also edit
References edit
Further reading edit
- Arthur, Anne. Minnesota's State Parks. Adventure Publications, 1998. ISBN 1-885061-51-X
- Meyer, Roy Willard. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1991. ISBN 0-87351-266-9
External links edit
- Minnesota State Parks on the Department of Natural Resources website
- 2006 Minnesota Statute sec. 85.012 State parks—statutory list
- Minnesota State Park System—Legislative Auditor Report